How Usable is Windows 98 in 2026?With the RAM and storage crisis hitting personal computing very hard – along with new software increasingly suffering the effects of metastasizing ‘AI’ – more people than ever are pining for the ‘good old days’. For example, using that early 2000s desktop PC with Windows 98 SE might now seem to be a viable alternative in 2026, because it couldn’t possibly make things worse. Or could it? As a reality check, [SteelsOfLiquid] over on YouTube gave this setup a whirl.
The computer of choice is a very common Dell Dimension 2100, featuring a zippy 1.1 GHz Intel Celeron, 256 MB  of DDR1, and a spacious 38 GB HDD. Graphics are provided by the iGPU in the Intel i810 chipset, all in a compact, 6.9 kg light package. As an early Windows XP PC, this gives Windows 98 SE probably a pretty solid shot at keeping up with the times. At least the early 2000s, natch.
Of course, there is a lot of period-correct software you can install, such as Adobe Photoshop 5, MS Office 97 (featuring everyone’s beloved Clippy), but a lot of modern software also runs, with the Retro Systems Revival blog documenting many that still run on Win98SE in some manner, including Audacity 2.0. This makes it totally suitable for basic productivity things.

YouTube in Netscape 4.5 on Windows 98. (Credit: Throaty Mumbo, YouTube)
Gaming on Win98 is naturally limited to games from around that early 2000s time period or before, but the gaming library even for just Win98 and MS-DOS is pretty massive, so as long as you’re fine not playing the latest and greatest games, this is also pretty easy.
Where things get dicey is of course with using the modern Internet, as you need a modern browser and support for the latest TLS encryption features to not have many websites throw a hissy fit. Using Frog Find and similar proxies that target retro computing help here, fortunately.
Previously we covered ways that you can use Discord even on Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.1, others have ported .NET applications to Windows 9x, got Win98 up and running on a 2020-era system, and you can totally use modern YouTube in even the Netscape 2.x browser using an NPAPI plugin.
Although there are many arguments to be made for using at least a Windows version with an NT kernel over the 9x one, it’s hard to deny that software Back Then was less complex, less resource-hungry and still got all the things done. Maybe it is worth another look, before the AI Crisis forces us all back on Windows XP systems like the one featured in this video.

Release Title:
Я приму тебя всю
Main Artist:
Pchelsh
Release Date:
08/03/2026
Primary Genre:
Pop
Secondary Genre:
Indie Rock
https://publme.lnk.to/422855-
#newmusic #Release #Music #indepedent #artist #pop #rock

Techivation’s T-Compressor Mk2 arrives T-Compressor Mk2 introduces a new multi-stage design that allows users to chain up to three sets of independent compressor settings, zero-latency processing, improved saturation modes and more.

Rhodes introduce Pianology Said to present a collection of sounds that are rarely encountered outside of the world’s most renowned studios, concert halls and private collections, Pianology has been designed to kit composers, producers and performers out with a versatile set of instruments that deliver a realistic, expressive playing experience. 

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The Tragic Demise of the Technirama Prism-Based Anamorphic LensA commercial Delrama prism-based anamorphic lens for large cameras. (Source: Mathieu Stern, YouTube)
Although to the average person a camera lens is just that bit of glass you stick on the front of the camera to make stuff appear in focus, there’s a whole wide world out there of lens designs and modifications with enough variety to make your head spin. Some of these designs make a big impact, while others fade away again, sometimes at the whims of film makers and photographers. Prism-based anamorphic lenses are an oddity that recently [Mathieu Stern] got his hands on. (Video, embedded below.)
During the 1950s and 1960s there was a bit of a competition between anamorphic formats, which use special lenses that ‘squeeze’ a larger image so that widescreen movies could be recorded on standard 35 mm film. By using the same lens for recording and playback, the result was a mostly distortion-free image. Here the Technirama format by Technicolor who teamed up with Dutch company De Oude Delft (‘Old Delft’) to produce the prism-based Delrama lenses that fit on existing lenses for cameras and projectors.
The last gasp of the Delrama anamorphic lenses. (Credit: Mathieu Stern, YouTube)a
Despite having a clearly superior, distortion-free image than the cylindrical lenses of the competition, Technirama got pushed out of the commercial market, leaving De Oude Delft to try and interest the consumer market for Delrama with 8 and 16 mm adapters. These latter are the ones that [Mathieu] got his hands on and tried out with a DSLR camera.
Troublesome with these Delrama adapters is that their silver mirrors tend to degrade over time, and they also turned out to be rather fragile, which are both things that made consumers sour on them. Another challenge was the fixed four meter focus that’s great when you’re using it with a projector, but terrible for up-close shots. All of these issues resulted in Delrama fading from the market by the 1970s until all that remains are these remnants of a format that once was used to film some of the biggest Hollywood movies.

Sender Spike filter.tankfilter.tank is a multimode filter (and distortion!) plug-in inspired by a particular Belgian iconic piece of hardware. Nuff said. IYKYK. And if not, just download it, experiment, and have lots of fun \m/. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKI-8dQNsZ4 Read More

HUM Audio Devices’ new N-Matrix HUM Audio Devices' latest creation delivers a standalone, expanded version of the passive insert matrix housed in the centre section of their impressive N-Trophy console.

TONEX ONE Double Special Limited Edition from IK Multimedia IK Multimedia's latest TONEX release provides users with the sound of two legendary Dumble amps that have been valued at over $300,000.

X is testing a new ad format that connects posts with productsAn ad test on X promotes Musk's Starlink beneath original content.

Ex-CFO sentenced to two years after diverting $35M to crypto ventureNevin Shetty was convicted of wire fraud related to secretly moving $35 million in funds from a Seattle startup to his own crypto platform in 2022 to use for DeFi investments.

The World’s Smallest Marble Clock With Pick and Place ArmClocks come in many styles and sizes, with perhaps the most visually pleasing ones involving marbles. Watching these little spheres obey gravity and form clearly readable numbers on a clock has strong mesmerizing qualities. If you’re not into really big marble clocks, or cannot quite find the space for a desk-sized clock, then the tiny marble clock by [Jens] may be an option.
While he totally loved the massive marble clock that [Ivan Miranda] built, it is a massive contraption that’s hard to justify as a permanent installation. His take on the concept thus makes it as small as possible, by using a pick-and-place style arm to place the marbles instead. Although the marbles don’t do a lot of rolling this way, it’s decidedly more quiet, and replace the rumbling and click-clacking of marbles with the smooth motion of a robotic arm.
Another benefit of this clock is that it’s cheap to make, with a price tag of less than $23. A big part of this is the use of cheap SG90 micro servos, and a permanent magnet along with a mechanism that pushes the marble off said magnet. Perhaps the biggest issue with this clock is that the arm somewhat obscures the time while it’s moving around, but it’s definitely another interesting addition to the gallery of marble clocks.
We have previously seen such clocks built out of wood and brass as well as 3D-printed using pendulum mechanisms, which can be made pretty compact as well, albeit with a more analog vibe.
Thanks to [Hari] for the tip.

Book Store: "Descenes and Discords: An Anthology" By Howard WuelfingAny fans of Washington D.C. punk rock and hardcore need, genuinely need, to own this incredible anthology of work originally published in the two separate fanzines Descenes and Discords during the 1970s and ‘80s. Industry vet Howard Wuelfing is the cat responsible, and the joy here is that he’s retained the DIY feel of the ‘zines, so it feels like we’re in some ragged, ink-stained time capsule. There have been similar anthologies of the likes of Sniffin’ Glue and Touch & Go, and this is right up there with them. Ian MacKaye pops up right at the start, and there’s a foreword by Mark Jenkins. 

(Paperback) $38The post Book Store: "Descenes and Discords: An Anthology" By Howard Wuelfing first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Esther Anaya on the electric violin, sound design, and transcending genres
In this exclusive interview, Esther Anaya discusses her approach to the electric violin, sound design philosophy, and more.

Sennheiser’s MD 9235 returns Sennheiser have revealed that the MD 9235, a cardioid mic head designed to pair up with their handheld wireless systems, is now officially back in production.